Antelope Valley Medical Center Honors Organ and Tissue Donors at Donate Life Rose Dedication Ceremony

(LANCASTER, Calif.) — Antelope Valley Medical Center (AVMC) and OneLegacy, the organ and tissue recovery organization serving the seven-county greater Los Angeles area, recently honored families of AVMC organ and tissue donors at a Donate Life Rose Ceremony.

During the event staff from AVMC thanked the family members for their loved ones’ life-saving and healing gifts of organs and tissue by presenting them with a certificate of appreciation, a silk dedication rose and a flower vial, which will be placed on the Donate Life float in the 127th Rose Parade.

Senator Sharon Runner, who suffered from scleroderma, received a life-saving double lung transplant in 2012. At the ceremony she shared her story and thanked all the families for their courage and compassion. “I will always be grateful for the selfless generosity of my donor and her family for giving me a second chance at life,” said Runner. “These families have sacrificed so much to help others, and I am thankful for the opportunity to recognize them.”

Fifty families were invited to the ceremony and many came to be supported and to support each other through their grief. The families wrote personal messages tagged on flower vials, which will be placed in a rose dedication garden on the 2016 Donate Life float.

“We are deeply grateful to the donors and their families for their generous decision to give the ultimate gift of life and help others in need,” said AVMC Chief Executive Officer Lex Reddy. “It is our privilege to provide families an opportunity to honor donors in such a meaningful way.”

The 13th Donate Life Parade Float, entitled “Treasure Life’s Journey,” features a colorful caravan with 60 donor medal-inspired floragraphs honoring the invaluable treasure of a deceased donor’s lifesaving gift. Twenty-four transplant recipients will ride the float and share in life's adventures made possible through the gift of organ or tissue donation. Twelve living donors will walk alongside the float carrying provisions of flower-accented fruit, symbolizing so many life-giving and enhancing gifts. Dedicated roses, placed lovingly by people touched by donation, will form floral jewels around the base of the float.

About Antelope Valley Medical Center

Celebrating 60 years of caring for the community, Antelope Valley Medical Center is located in the city of Lancaster in northern Los Angeles County. The 420-bed district hospital is a Level II trauma center and provides a full array of medical/surgical services, pediatric treatment, NICU, mental health, cancer care and more. More information is available at www.AVMC.org or by calling 661-949-5000.